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A recent contract extension made it abundantly clear the Winnipeg Jets are happy with the direction general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is taking them.

Now in his third season in the big chair, Cheveldayoff has identified the core group and gone out of his way to make sure they were committed to the long term and signed on the dotted line.

He’s also added depth to the organization through the three drafts, in trades that brought in Michael Frolik and Devin Setoguchi, with some waiver-wire pick-ups who are playing complementary roles and with a few under-the-radar free agent signings.

Cheveldayoff isn’t concerned about where players came from, as long as they fit into the long-term vision, which places a high priority on character as well as skill.

One of the men signing the checks obviously approves of Cheveldayoff’s approach.

“It’s been very deliberate. Very thought-out. There aren’t any shortcuts to success in this business. It comes as a consequence of making the right decision consistently,” said Jets co-owner and governor Mark Chipman. “He delivered exactly what we expected of him in the first couple of years, because there were some parameters on our payroll, et. He’s exceeded what I’ve expected.

“We’ve got a plan. Who’s best to drive it? It’s Kevin Cheveldayoff.”

What some fans sometimes forget is that Cheveldayoff had long been considered an up-and-comer and was close to becoming an NHL general manager before joining the Jets organization, going deep into the interview process with the Phoenix Coyotes and New York Islanders before settling into the role of assistant GM with the Chicago Blackhawks.

He has a bright hockey mind and winning pedigree in the minors, capturing titles in both the American Hockey League and International Hockey League.

The Jets believe he has the tools and foresight to do the same at the NHL-level and have rewarded their confidence in him with a large window to build this team as he sees fit.

To this point, Cheveldayoff has been conservative in building this group, there’s little doubt about that.

But he’s putting his stamp on the club as the Jets try to break the cycle of losing that was prevalent through the franchise’s time as the Atlanta Thrashers, with the exception of one first-round playoff ouster in 2007, a clean sweep at the hands of the New York Rangers.

“We’re trying to create some stability, some foundation, in this organization,” Cheveldayoff said on the day he signed a two-year contract extension that leaves five more years on his contract. “If you look back over the history, whether you’ve liked the player or haven’t, the players have moved on. We have to find a way to create some stability, create some culture here, create some expectation within the group. And then start having young players come into the group and pushing that bar higher.

“The playoffs are very, very important to us. We talk about them, we think about them. If we can take the next step individually and collectively, then I believe we’ll take the next step as an organization.

“And once we take that next step that doesn’t mean anything... we have one more step to go.”

After falling four points short of the playoffs last spring, there’s little doubt the current roster is improved.

But as the Jets shift to the Central Division of the Western Conference, plenty of teams have improved.

Whether the Jets have done enough to push themselves above the playoff line will be an intriguing story-line this season.

“They have to take another step. They have to continue to find ways to improve,” said Cheveldayoff. “There are certainly team statistics that are important to take the next step upon. There’s individual accomplishments, individual player growth.

“We’re hopeful we’ve found some players that have addressed some needs.”

Finding those players was the next step, delivering results during the coming years will tell us if the contract extension was the right call or not.

Chevy’s a man with a plan

Jets GM in for the long haul — but wht does that look like?

A recent contract extension made it abundantly clear the Winnipeg Jets are happy with the direction general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff is taking them.

Now in his third season in the big chair, Cheveldayoff has identified the core group and gone out of his way to make sure they were committed to the long term and signed on the dotted line.

He’s also added depth to the organization through the three drafts, in trades that brought in Michael Frolik and Devin Setoguchi, with some waiver-wire pick-ups who are playing complementary roles and with a few under-the-radar free agent signings.

Cheveldayoff isn’t concerned about where players came from, as long as they fit into the long-term vision, which places a high priority on character as well as skill.

One of the men signing the checks obviously approves of Cheveldayoff’s approach.